The halfway point of the 2022-23 season is fast approaching, and the New Jersey Devils find themselves in an interesting spot, sitting comfortably near the top of the league without the services of Ondrej Palat and Mackenzie Blackwood. Still, without Palat, and now without Nathan Bastian, GM Tom Fitzgerald and the Devils should be proactive in securing proven, veteran scoring depth on the flanks. But who could be available?
A few of the many needs the Devils filled in this past offseason remain unsolved. One of which is supplying Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier with elite partners on their wings. The Devils don’t have a Jesper Bratt clone, so he can only play on one line at a time.
Many of us hoped that Alexander Holtz would be that guy, but Holtz hasn’t earned the coaching staff’s trust with his average foot speed and pace of play. Never mind his play at 5v5. They won’t even consistently plop him at the left circle for one-timers on the powerplay. The Devils relied on Yegor Sharangovich’s chemistry with Hughes, but he hasn’t had a great season, either.
Erik Haula usurped Sharangovich’s spot next to Hughes, and now Haula has become one of the most snakebitten Devils we’ve seen in years. As a result, with several pending FAs struggling, the Devils’ goal, besides acquiring the following players, is to keep them around even after the season to ensure that they can build a consistent contender as well as a well-oiled machine.
#5. Vladimir Tarasenko
Vladimir Tarasenko would be the opposite of a snakebitten Erik Haula. The St. Louis Blues’ Russian sniper scored 30 or more goals from 2014-15 to 2018-19, including a 40-goal season in 2015-16. Injuries limited Tarasenko to seven goals in 34 games between the 19-20 and 20-21 seasons before he bounced back with 34 goals and a career-high 82 points last year. In addition to his goal-scoring exploits, Tarasenko comes with 90 games of playoff experience, including a Stanley Cup victory with the Blues in 2019.
Vladimir Tarasenko walked Owen Power and then scored with the Forsberg 😳 pic.twitter.com/PtUX20nLJh
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 15, 2022
These days, the Blues are a pretty bad team all around, and Tarasenko is slated to hit free agency this offseason. Tarasenko comes with a fairly high cap hit of $7,500,000. Still, injured goalie Jonathan Bernier is no longer expected back after a setback in his recovery, meaning the Devils will have a much easier time making the requisite cap space needed to bring Tarasenko aboard. While he is a rental with a contract presently set to expire, the Devils will probably seek to extend him beyond 2023 if they acquire him. If the price is right, Tarasenko should be a no-brainer.